Arrow: Season Four (The Fanfic) On Hold
by Pandalandalopalis
Summary: A year after Oliver and Felicity ran away together, Oliver is back in Starling City and is working as a hero again, with Laurel, Thea, and Diggle, all suited up and ready to protect their city. But what happened in that year between Ra's al Ghul's death and the return of Oliver Queen? Are Oliver and Felicity still together? Will Merlyn pose a threat as the new Ra's?
1. Episode 1: Green Arrow

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

 **~Episode 1: Green Arrow~**

Episode Summary: A year after the events caused by Ra's al Ghul, Oliver Queen has returned to Starling City and resumed his role as a hero. In a one year flashback, we see the beginning of Oliver and Felicity's life together in their new home. In a five year flashback, we see Oliver return to Lian Yu after the death of Akio.

* * *

Two masked figures battled on a rooftop, sparing as if their lives depended on it. One was obviously a woman, with long blonde hair and a tight leather outfit. What looked like a choker necklace was around her neck, marking her to anyone overseeing the fight as the Black Canary. The other figure was a man, tall with broad shoulders, but fluid movements. The same person who would recognize the woman as a familiar vigilante, would instead recognize the man to be a hooded member of the League of Shadows.

The man held his hands down in front of his waist to block the kicks the Black Canary tried to give him. He grabbed her ankle in attempt to knock her off-balance, but she used the force to bend backwards, hands on the ground and shooting her other leg up to contact her foot with the man's jaw. He was sent spiraling back, and the Black Canary fell over so her feet returned to the ground and she was able to stand again. She turned around to face the man, her fists up, ready to continue. He regained his composure, spitting blood from his mouth, and for a second the Black Canary wavered. But –and only someone as close as her would be able to see through the shadow his hood created over his face– when she saw his toothy grin, she only had a second to step back before the man swiped forward at her.

He used his weight to tackle her to the ground, pinning her arms behind her back. He leaned his lips to whisper by her ear. "You've gotten soft, Laurel," he murmured, moving her hair out of her face. She smiled back at him, looking less like the Black Canary and more like the cat that _ate_ the black canary.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you, Oliver." When his hand moved close enough to her mouth, she bit down on his skin, and he let out a surprised yelp. Her elbow smashed into his nose, and suddenly the tides were turned, with the Black Canary pinning the man's arms behind _his_ back.

* * *

 ** _One Year Ago_**

"Oliver, isn't it beautiful?" Felicity asked as she held the blonde man's hand. They both stared up at the small house before them. It was a quaint little two-story place, with blue shutters and a cream-coloured door.

"It's perfect," he commented, smiling down at her. Of course, on their first night in their new home, they learned it wasn't _exactly_ perfect. The house had a leaky roof, which Oliver promised he'd try and fix as soon as he could. There was no use in worrying or getting upset about it; their lives would be perfect soon enough.

The couple cuddled by the fire, watched movies together on the couch, shared their food, and were happy. Their existence was perfect. Well, _almost_ perfect. There was still that leaky roof that Oliver hadn't gotten to yet. They had been too busy going out to dinner, spending time trying to get to know their neighbours, and visiting the small town that was 45 minutes away. But they had each other. It wasn't a problem.

Until that night. The night it poured with unrelenting rain.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._ Water leaked through the roof, dropping into several different pots and pans that Oliver and Felicity had placed all over the house to collect the rain. They had counted eleven leaks in all. The sound of water dripping onto metal began to be a sort of lullaby to the two of them. It was soothing; gentle. Until the twelfth leak formed, in the most unfortunate place. The leak formed right above Oliver's head where he slept, collecting until it began its _drip, drip, drip_ onto his forehead. It would not stop any time soon.

There was a name for the sort of feeling Oliver was beginning to get as the _drip, drip, drip_ continued throughout the night. It was called Chinese Water Torture, and it had been used against Oliver before.

He woke up screaming.

* * *

 ** _Present Day_**

"Alright, I give!" Oliver shouted, although you could hear the laughter in his voice. The Black Canary released her hold and stood up, holding out her hand to help him up.

Finally back on his feet, Oliver wiped his nose with the back of his hand, ran his fingers over his lip, then cradled his bitten thumb. "Isn't that cheating?" he asked, pushing down his hood to reveal his face. He looked very different than he did a year ago. Oliver had let his hair grow back, wilder and blonder than before. He had also began to grow a goatee, which none of his friends approved of and begged him to get rid of it.

Laurel scoffed. "Says the guy who used to get tortured and tortured others for a living," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Isn't biting pretty low on the pain scale?"

"Yeah," he started, "but I didn't really think you were the type to, well, _bite_ your opponents. Besides, even as a guy with fifty plus scars, I still need my hands to shoot a bow."

She laughed. " _Now_ who's soft? I'm sure you'll manage just fine with your bow, Ollie."

"Hey!" he retaliated, "I told you to stop calling me that! It doesn't sound badass enough."

"The day you shave that stupid goatee is the day I stop calling you Ollie, Oll–" Laurel stopped talking when Diggle's voice came into the coms in their ears.

 _"_ _911, guys. Armed robbery on 2_ _nd_ _. Bring that Canary Cry, Laurel, we're going to need it."_

 _"_ _Oh! And bring Ollie's goatee,"_ Thea's voice commented, _"I'm sure it'll scare away any robbers there."_

Oliver sighed. "Really?"

Laurel grinned at him before running off down the fire escape. Oliver stayed behind for a moment, putting his hood back over his head. No longer was his hero costume a dark, gritty green, but rather a brighter version of the colour, with a less threatening design.

 _"_ _Are you coming, Oliver?"_ Diggle asked, _"'cause this problem's gonna need the Arrow."_

"I told you, Digg," he responded, picking up his bow from the side of the rooftop. He shot an arrow with a string attached to the other building and tied it the pole next to him. He then used his bow to slide down the rope and land on the ground. "It's _Green Arrow_ now."

* * *

 ** _Five Years Ago_**

It was just as he remembered it. An island in the middle of nowhere, Lian Yu most definitely held up to its English translation: _purgatory_. Oliver wanted to go back to Starling City, he wanted to go back to his mother and his sister and tell them that he was alive, tell them that he was okay. But he couldn't, he knew he couldn't. Not after he had tortured Shrieve so brutally that Maseo had to put him down.

And so Oliver returned to the island he promised he would never have to go back to. The island he was ship-wrecked (or rather _raft-_ wrecked) on after his father had killed himself. The island where Shado died. The island where his friend tried to kill him.

It was hard to go back. Even just stepping on the beach brought back a haze of painful memories. Oliver had never experienced PTSD before, but he imagined what he was experiencing in that moment was probably it. Paranoia was a big thing; everywhere he turned it was like someone was watching him. It reminded him of when he first arrived on the island and had met Yao Fei, who had spent a few days stalking him before finally approaching Oliver.

Looking over Lian Yu was like looking through a sea of green. There were so many trees, packed so tightly together. He wondered if he would remember his way around the island. Then he wondered if he would ever forget; it was integrated into his memory and he began to think that maybe it would never go away. Oliver walked forward, bow in hand, his feet taking him where he wanted to go. And for the first time in a long time –he was afraid.

He wondered if he would ever get off of this island a second time.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for how short this is, I just wanted to get out the first chapter ASAP, so I could get some feedback on it. What do you guys think? Should I write a whole season of chapters for Arrow?


	2. Episode 2: Quiet

**~Episode 2: Quiet~**

Episode Summary: Oliver works as Green Arrow with Black Canary (Laurel), Speedy (Thea), and Marksman (Diggle). In one year flashbacks, we see Oliver and Felicity try to deal with Oliver's PTSD. In five year flashbacks, we see Oliver try to reacquaint himself with Lian Yu.

* * *

A red-tipped arrow shot through the window of the bank on 2nd, pinning one of the robbers' shirt to the wall. He grasped the end of it and desperately tried to pull it out.

"It's the Arrow!" another one of the robbers yelled. "Scram!"

"Wait!" The pinned robber struggled harder. "You can't just leave me here!"

A red archer burst through the door and pointed her bow 'n arrow at the two robbers –one taller, one shorter– planning on leaving their buddy behind. "You're going nowhere."

The taller one laughed. "Relax; it's just the sidekick. What's her name? Fasty?"

"That's _Speedy_ , asshole," the red archer growled. She pulled back the arrow tighter. The shorter one held up a gun, giving her a deadly smirk.

"Well, then, say 'goodnight', _Speedy_." But before anyone could do anything, a piercing sound rang through the bank. The taller and shorter robbers covered their ears, the shorter one releasing the gun in the process. When the noise stopped, the robber pinned against the wall finally freed himself and darted for the gun on the ground. A boot stepped on his hand before he could reach it, and he let out a shout of pain. He gritted his teeth together as he looked up at the owner of the boot.

"Stealing is against the law, you know," the masked man said, pointing his gun down at the robber.

"Where's your Arrow friend, Marksman?" he asked.

"The _Arrow_ is dead."

The robber rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, it's _Green Arrow_ now right? You really expect us to believe that it isn't the same guy?"

"I expect you to believe anything I say with a gun in your face." The masked man kept his attention on the robber on the ground, while the red archer put her bow down momentarily to press her finger to her ear.

"Where _are_ you? We have this place pretty locked down but we're going to need back-up," she whispered to her com. With Speedy and Marksman preoccupied, the shorter robber reached for the previously discarded gun and staggered to his feet. He pointed the gun at Speedy's head, about to pull the trigger, when a leather-clad woman knocked up out with a single punch.

"I thought the Canary Cry was warning enough _not_ to try to kill my friend again," Black Canary said to the unconscious man. Speedy gave a nod to her.

"Thanks. Green Arrow says he's on his way."

The taller one stood, angry brewing in his expression as he looked at the leather-clad woman. He pulled a knife out of his pocket. "I should have known that cry was you, _bitch_. I'll flay you where you stand, I'll–!" But his sentence was cut short as a green archer swung feet-first through the window, kicking the taller robber down in the process.

"You know, it's not very nice to talk to a woman like that," Green Arrow spoke as he began tying him up. His groans matched those of the shorter one, who was beginning to come to his senses. Black Canary tied him up before he could fully awaken, and tossed a pair of handcuffs to Marksman.

"I hate you guys," the last robber mumbled as the masked man handcuffed him. Marksman just shook his head sadly.

"Then stop robbing banks." The robber rolled his eyes at the comment and gave the group a vigilantes an obscene gesture involving one finger.

* * *

 ** _One Year Ago_**

"Mr Queen, are you aware that you are a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder?"

Felicity's hand tightened around Oliver's as the psychiatrist asked the question. They sat in a small room on a fluffy white couch in front of a dark-skinned woman with graying hair and glasses who occasionally wrote down a sentence or two. Oliver couldn't meet anyone's eyes as he answered.

"Yes."

Felicity's head turned to look at him in surprise. Sure, she was aware that being on an island for five years was a horrible experience but she never thought. . .

The psychiatrist, Dr Stille, scribbled down a few words before looking back up. "And who diagnosed you with PTSD?"

"It was self-diagnosed."

Felicity's mouth opened slightly. Dr Stille _hmm_ ed and leaned forward in her seat. "And what made you self-diagnose yourself, Mr Queen?"

"I don't know. I could just feel it."

She nodded. "Can you describe these feelings for me?"

Oliver frowned and was quiet. His jaw clenched slightly and he refused to say a word.

* * *

 ** _Present Day_**

"You know you're all going to put us out of business if you keep up the good work you're doing," Captain Lance commented as the police began to haul the robbers away in a van.

Black Canary laughed while Green Arrow gave him a grin. "Was that a compliment? From _you_?"

Captain Lance chuckled. "Y'know, I may act like the four of you annoy the _hell_ outta me– which, make no mistake, you do, frequently– but you are a great help to this city."

Black Canary smiled at him, then she and Marksman left one way while Green Arrow and Speedy left the other way. The two siblings talked as they made their way back to the Arrow Cave.

"Hey, remember when you first came back to the city and Laurel's dad tried to arrest you again for, like, the billionth time?" Thea asked. Oliver nodded.

"I remember. It took a new suit and saving his life to get him to trust me again."

"What a day that was."

"Yeah."

* * *

 ** _Five Years Ago_**

Lian Yu hadn't changed much since Oliver had left. He quickly found a cave that he had stayed in once and set up his new home there.

 _Home._

Oliver thought about the concept. No, this place couldn't be his home. Home isn't where you live, it's where your heart is. Your family, your friends, your loved ones. No one of that kind was here with him. It made him miss his real home terribly. He had seen how badly Thea was holding up without him. Maybe he was being selfish, coming back to Lian Yu and not going back to Starling City.

 _No, that was the point of coming back here. It would be selfish to go back_ there _. You could end up hurting them_. _You've changed too much._

Although he knew he did the right thing by coming back to the island he was ship-wrecked on, it didn't make living on Lian Yu again any easier. Sitting in a cave with only his bow 'n arrow to keep him company was very . . . lonely. Before, he had Shado and Slade, and later, Sara. Even though their situation was a dangerous one, they had each other to keep them sane. But now. . .

When Oliver sat against the cold wall of the cave, he listened. But there was nothing. No wind blowing through the trees, no sounds of birds chirping, no rustling of animals in the bushes. Only silence. Only quiet. The only thing he could seem to hear was himself. The sound of his breathing, of his heart beating in his ears. Oliver's grip on his bow tightened, and he notched an arrow into it. He pointed it at the mouth of the cave, paranoia starting to settle in. He listened and he waited. Waited to live. Waited to die. Waited for the inevitable danger that always came on this island. He couldn't be the only one on Lian Yu. There had to be someone else. Anyone else.

But for now there was only quiet.

* * *

 ** _Present Day_**

"Great work everyone," Oliver commented to his team as he put away his bow and arrows and began to change into regular clothes.

"Oh, please," Thea said as she slid off her hood and took off her mask. "Three robbers with two guns and a knife? I could have taken them down by myself if I wanted to. But, of course, I didn't want you guys to feel like you were useless."

Laurel smiled. "Of course not."

Diggle came back into the room after having changed out of his hero outfit and hung it on the mannequin labeled _Marksman_. "Well, I should probably get going. Wife and one-year-old daughter to get back to, you know."

Laurel set the Canary Cry necklace on the table and nodded. "And I need to go check in with my dad. He gets worried if I don't let him know I'm okay every once in a while."

The pair of them went up the stairs and left as the two siblings were getting ready to follow them out. Once Thea was changed, she grabbed her back and began to head out. Oliver stayed behind.

"Are you coming?" she asked him. He nodded.

"Just give me a few minutes. I'll meet you at home," he told her, and she went on her way out the door. Oliver leaned against the table, and listened to the hum of the machines in their little Cave. He glanced over at the computer on the table at the side of the room for a moment. Then he gathered his things and left.

* * *

 ** _One Year Ago_**

"Alright, they fixed all the leaks and made sure the roof wouldn't leak anymore any time soon," Felicity told Oliver outside of the house as they watched the workers drive away in their truck.

"Good. That's good," he said briefly before heading back inside. She followed him, gathering her courage to ask him the question he knew would come eventually.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Oliver leaned his hands against the kitchen table, his back to her. "Tell you what?" he asked, but he knew the answer. He was just stalling.

"'Tell you what?'" Felicity repeated. "You _know_ what. Your PTSD, Oliver. Why didn't you tell me about it? I could have helped."

Oliver turned around to face her, sighing. "I didn't know about it. I thought it had gone away."

"Gone away?"

"I learned to cope with it," he reiterated. She walked over to him, putting her hands on the side of his face.

"Oliver, tell me about Lian Yu," she said, and he refused to meet her eyes. " _Please_. What happened to you on that island? You never talk about it."

"There's a reason I don't."

Felicity swallowed and closed her eyes. She knew this was a touchy subject for Oliver, and she knew it wouldn't do any good to push it for long. So when she opened her eyes she gave him a hesitant smile. "Okay. You don't have to tell me about it– not now. But, maybe someday?"

Oliver nodded and smiled back at her, kissing her gently. She hugged him, then began walking through the house, collecting the pots and pans originally used to collect rainwater. He helped her, and after a few moments they put the eleven pots and pans on the table and observed them.

"Now we'll actually be able to cook things," Oliver commented and Felicity laughed.

"And it'll be a lot quieter around here without the sound of rain dripping onto metal," she said. "It'll be more peaceful this way."

They continued with their life. They cuddled by the fire and watched movies together. They cooked with their newly reacquired pots and pans and shared the food they made together. They withdrew a bit from their neighbours, but it was okay, they had each other. It was quiet, just the two of them. And it was perfect.

But it was quiet.

* * *

 ** _Present Day_**

Oliver had decided to walk home, and had made a detour to pick up some take-out for him and Thea, so he didn't make it home until about an hour after everyone had left. When he did make it home, and opened the door into their apartment, he was surprised to find music playing. Thea wasn't the only one there, and Laurel greeted him when he came in. He saw Diggle with Lyla and Sara, chatting to Captain Lance who had a glass of water in his hand. Thea was busy making food in the kitchen.

"Oliver! Good, you're finally here," his sister said, making her way over to him and Laurel. Oliver set the bag of take-out on the table next to the door.

"Guess we won't be needing that anymore," he said, gesturing to the kitchen. "You guys having a party without me?"

Thea shrugged. "I thought it would be nice to have a little get-together. And I'm sure someone here will appreciate the Chinese food." She took the bag and brought it over to where she was making dinner.

Laurel turned to Oliver. "Sorry we kind of hijacked your place."

"No, it's fine." He followed her to the living room, where the others greeted him with smiles. "It's nice to have other people here than just the two of us." He listened to the sound of talking and laughter and savoured it. He looked around his apartment, watched Sara make cooing noises, watched Thea swear as she accidently burned the food and watched Lyla go to help her. He watched Laurel interact with her dad, and he watched Diggle give him a grin and wondered how there was ever a time that himself and Diggle weren't on good terms.

His friend went over to Oliver and held Sara out to him. "Want to hold her?"

"Of course. Come to Uncle Ollie," he said, gently taking the baby from Diggle's arms and holding her against his chest. She squirmed a bit in his arms. She was getting big; she already had hair and Lyla had mentioned to him that even though she could walk yet, she could stand all by herself. Oliver smiled at her and kissed her lightly on the head.

* * *

 ** _Five Years Ago_**

Oliver was afraid that if he stayed alone in this cave for any longer he would go crazy. He knew Lian Yu was a dangerous place, but he also knew that if he kept himself cooped up for any longer his mind would turn to mush. Not to mention he would probably go hungry first.

So on the fifth day that Oliver was on that island he finally ventured outside. He followed familiar paths and found his way to the river. He listened to the rushing water that gave him a feeling of calm that the silence of the cave did not. He walked on stones to the middle of the river, pulling back the arrow notched in his bow tighter and waited for a target.

When he had enough fish he returned to his cave and ate until he was full. Then he sat in the silence and he waited.

And he waited.


	3. Episode 3: Old Friends

A/N: This chapter was written with the help of Phillipe363 :)

* * *

 **~Episode 3: Old Friends~**

Episode Summary: Felicity's whereabouts are revealed. In one year flashbacks, Diggle comes to visit Oliver and Felicity. In five year flashbacks, Oliver is surprised to find an old friend on the island.

* * *

Oliver rocked baby Sara in his arm for a little while longer, looking up to see Diggle on the phone. He seemed like he was having a nice conversation, and laughed as if the person on the other side had said something funny.

"Yeah, alright. Yes, things are going good. Not the same, though." He paused and listened to the other person speak. "I know, I know. But we all miss you anyway. Do you _know_ how hard it's been to–" He stopped as if he was interrupted, and sighed. "He's good. He really is." Another pause, a long one this time. "Really? That would be–! Oh, I see. Well, that would be great, too. How long has it been?" He listened to their answer. "Well that's too long. It'll be great to see you again; Sara's gotten so big. Well, you probably have to get back to whatever you're up to, so I'll talk to you later. We'll be seeing you, bye." Diggle hung up the phone and stuck it in his pocket.

"Who was that?" Oliver asked as he carefully handed Sara back to him.

"Felicity," he answered, taking his daughter and kissing her cheek.

"How is she?"

"Good. Actually she said she's coming to visit Starling City for a few days."

Oliver grinned. "That's great. We could definitely use the help, even if it is only for a little while."

"Oliver." The stern way Diggle said his name made him look up. "She's just coming to visit. No hero work. You know that. She got out. She's not like you Oliver; once she got out, she planned on _staying_ out. Why do you think it's been six months since we've seen her?"

Oliver nodded slowly and ran a hand over his goatee. He sighed. "You're right, I should've known better." He smiled. "Visit only."

* * *

 ** _One Year Ago_**

"It's great to have you here, Diggle," Felicity said with a wide smile as she let her friend inside. Diggle grinned at her, taking a seat at the kitchen counter as the blonde went back to the food cooking in a pot on the stove.

"Mmm, smells good. What are you making?" he asked. Felicity laughed a little bit as she stirred, turning to look at him over her shoulder.

"I'd like to say I'm cooking a gourmet meal with spices I can't even pronounce, but," she turned off the burner and took the pot off of the stove, "it's just soup from a can." Diggle chuckled. Felicity hit him lightly with her oven mitt. "Hey! Not everyone can be as great a cook as Lyla is!"

They both stopped teasing each other as they heard Oliver come down. He kissed Felicity on the cheek, then went over to hug Diggle.

"It's good to see you man," Oliver said.

Diggle smiled at him. "It seems like you guys have a really good set-up here."

The blond man nodded. "Yeah." Felicity went over to him and put her arms around his waist, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. Diggle jokingly made a face.

"Okay, are we going to eat dinner, or do you guys need to get a room?"

Felicity laughed and they separated, putting out bowls and utensils.

* * *

 ** _Present Day_**

Oliver's apartment was just like it had been the day before. Everyone was there, save for Diggle, who was picking up Felicity from the airport.

"It'll be great to see Felicity again, huh?" Laurel said, sipping a glass of water while Oliver nursed his own alcoholic beverage.

"Yeah."

"I mean, you guys haven't seen each other since–"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked. He gave her a small smile.

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

Laurel was about to say something else when Thea rushed over, shushing everyone. "Quiet! Everyone hide; Diggle just called, they're coming up the stairs!"

Everyone did as they were told and hid, waiting for about a minute before Diggle and Felicity walked through the door and he turned on the light.

"SURPRISE!"

Felicity was taken aback slightly, and began laughing. Her appearance was a little different from what everyone remembered. The 'geeky' glasses were gone, replaced with contacts. Her hair was no longer in a ponytail, it now cascaded down her shoulders. She had a different aurora around her, too. She seemed to stand taller, head higher, with more confidence.

"You guys!" she said, one hand on top of her heart, grinning. Lyla handed her a drink and she was immersed into conversation.

* * *

 ** _Five Years Ago_**

Oliver was starting to get used to Lian Yu again. But the loneliness was beginning to get to his head. He heard voices that weren't there; saw shadows and shapes that couldn't be explained. He began to be afraid that his mind wouldn't last much longer if things stayed this way.

He lost track of dates, even lost track of how many days he had been there. Time just started to . . . blur together. Until, one day, he was walking along the beach, trying to calm the rising feeling of panic and paranoia as he stared at the horizon, when an object caught his eye. The waves were pushing it onto the shore as Oliver walked over and picked it up. It was a mask. Half black, half orange.

Oliver slowly sat down on the beach, cradling Slade's mask in his lap as he looked out at the water, where the ship known as the Amazo used to float. It made him wonder: Who sank with the Amazo? Who escaped? Who made it off of the island?

A sick thought wrenched its way into his head. Nobody survives Lian Yu. If they made it back onto the island . . . they had to be dead by now. _Great_. The only thing keeping Oliver company was ghosts. What a comforting way to end the day.

But as the sun was setting, he began to hear rustling in the forest behind him, like there was someone there. Oliver ignored it like he learned to ignore all the other imaginary noises he heard regularly in that forest. That is, until he heard a voice, one that was louder and clearer than the ones in his head.

"Oh, my favourite American! You're alive!"

Oliver whipped around, standing up, Slade's mask forgotten at his feet. He could hardly believe his eyes.

"Anatoly?"

* * *

 ** _Present Day_**

After chatting with everyone else, Felicity finally found her way over to Oliver. They shared polite smiles before speaking.

"Hey."

"Hi. It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has."

"How are things?" she asked.

"Good. Great." Oliver shook his head suddenly and gave her a beaming grin. "What am I saying? You're the Vice President of a huge technology company now! And you're living in _London_ , _England_! Wow."

Felicity smiled at him. "Thank you, Oliver."

"No really, that's amazing! How is that going?"

"It's going great, y'know, I have so much control over the security at _Clearswift_ , and they still let me do a lot of the programing on my own, despite them telling me time and again that they can get an assistant to do it for me. I have a lot of freedom to do my own thing, and the office, Oliver, the _office_ is amazing. So much room. And they did get me an assistant to get me coffee and run errands for me and stuff like that, so that's really helpful." She nodded to herself, then gestured to him. "Look at me, going on and on about my new job. What are you up to these days?"

Oliver shrugged. "Oh, you know. Same-old, same-old."

"So still fighting crime."

"Yes."

There was a pause between them that lasted longer than probably either of them would've liked. Felicity sucked in a breath. "Oliver, look, I'm–"

"I know," Oliver interrupted. "Me, too."

* * *

 ** _One Year Ago_**

While Felicity went out to get some dessert, Diggle and Oliver sat on the couch with a couple of beers.

"This is a beautiful house, man," Diggle commented, and Oliver nodded.

"Yeah, it is."

"Felicity told me you guys had some trouble with the roof leaking?" he said slowly.

The blond man brought the beer to his lips, his eyes narrowed. "Is that all she told you?"

"Don't be mad, Oliver. Felicity's just looking out for you," Diggle said. Oliver sighed.

"I know, man. I know."

"Look, Oliver," he started, "It's not surprising that your PTSD is starting to affect you. In fact, I'm surprised you hadn't mentioned it until now."

Oliver shrugged. "I didn't think it was a problem until now."

"Why didn't you say anything? You know me, I've dealt with guys in the field who've had PTSD before."

"Like I said, it wasn't really a problem," he repeated.

Diggle rolled the beer between his hands. "Why do you think that is?"

Oliver began to pick at the label on his bottle. "I don't know. I kept myself busy, I guess. A few dreams, here and there, but I distracted myself with my father's journal and taking down the people on his list. Soon it wasn't my biggest problem, so I forgot about it. Pushed it to the back of my mind. I dealt with it."

Diggle put his beer on the table. "And how are you dealing with it now?"

"Honestly," Oliver gripped the bottle so hard his knuckles turned white, "I don't think I am."

* * *

 ** _Five Years Ago_**

Anatoly laughed and ran over to Oliver, putting his hands on his shoulders. "I can't believe it! I thought you were dead!"

Oliver couldn't help the grin that spread wide onto his face. He chuckled. "In all truthfulness, so did I."

"Yes, this island, it plays tricks on you. Messes with your head. You can't be alone for long. Or else, y'know," he put two fingers to his head and made a gun noise with his mouth, then laughed again. "Good thing I found you!"

Anatoly took Oliver back to a different cave that he himself had been staying in. It look vaguely familiar to Oliver, and it didn't take him long to figure out why. There was a recurve bow, along with some arrows, sitting in the corner of the cave, which he picked up and held in his hands.

"That was there when I found this place."

"Yao Fei," Oliver murmured to himself.

"Hmm?"

"This was his cave. He helped me when I first got here. Taught me to shoot, taught me to hunt. He taught me to survive."

"Well," Anatoly passed him a piece of fish, "You've definitely done a good job of that."

Looking at the piece of food made his stomach growl, and Oliver shook his head.

"Honestly, I can't exactly say I have."


End file.
